Wichita eagle., 1887-12-31
9ailY ~ eagle
AT TALMAeE's TABERNACLE.

Interior Decorations-The Opening Prayer.
The Preacher and His Preaching.
The tabernacle has nothing imposing
about it. Next to Plymouth it is one OF
the homeliest church buildings in Brook
lyn from any external point of view.
Probably 5000 people were patiently
waiting for the iron gates to open on Sun
day morning. Some of them must have
been in the street an hour, and when the
iren gates opened there was rush for the
unreserved pews and they were quickly
filled. When the services commenced
every seat was occupied, people were
sitting in some Of the aisles, and the space
between the back pews and the wall was
packed with standing auditors.
/ said something in former letter
about the interior of the Tabernacle, but
its gold, silver, blue and green is seen at a
double advantage from the balcony. Its
decorations would be appropriate for any
pleasant theatre or hail. Two or three
people in the balcony, one Of them a lady,
became so impressed with the secular
characteristics of the place that they pro-
ceeded to study morning papers. But
ushers made q descent upon them and the
papers were pocketed again. Somebody
a half dozen reporters and stenographerS
filed down an aisle to the space before the
pulpit and company of cadets marched
in as the great organ belched out the first
heavy chords Of the opening voluntary.
Then everybody standing sang Praise
God from whom all blessings flow, " and
the pastor made the opening prayer stand
ing, while the congregation sat. l am
l.4ir hepo1sp
Presbyterian churches that would pro-
badly consider the sitting posture, as n
practice, disrespectful in the extreme.
Only two years ago / recall an incident in
a western New York town in which the
minister told his hearers it would be bet
ter for them to stay at home than thus to
show their weak spiritual condition to the
world.
After the prayer the people, led by
.ornet player, accompanied the thunder of
the organ song, Hold the Fort" Several
thousand people is 4 great chorus when
everybody sings. Then we had cornet
\ solo as the collection was taken.
! have told you before how the preacher
looks but his preaching is indescribable.
am sorry that it is not like that Of any
body else, without any fear of cOntradlc-
ton. His methods are peculiar but not
fantastic, dramatic but not sensational, as
| ] think. Such differences Of opinion exist
about this preacher, however, that / want
70 try to express how most Of his auditors
regard him.
One of the queer figures of speech |
heard the other day at the Tabernacle was
from the pastor in speaking about the
self righteous grinding away at the
windlass of the dry well of earthly salts
faction" One Of the things heard that
pleased everybody and didn't seem to do
anv harm was ''BOulanger's March,
with the use OF the great organs bell stop
in the second strain, played just before
the sermon.
\ free thinking friend of mine from
CattaraugUs county attended this opening
service with me. II tell you, said he,
''if lived here I'd never miss that ser
vice" Yet, he said he hadn't been inside
church for FIVE years. He was enter
tained, heard a sermon that saint or sin
ner alone could find meat in without
wearisOme encounters with doctrinal mat
ters, and since they say anything heard
or seen has an Undying influence, he was
influenced for good rather than evil, am
sure.
BY the way, Mr.. Talmage told me one
day that he asked no greater recognition
fer what he had done than the inscription
on his tombstone, "Talmage, a Popular
Preacher "-McDonald in Buffalo Elk
DrCSS